Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Ergonomics for Knitters

I had some success knitting yesterday. It took three different projects before I figured out what I could knit. After using my heat pack and stretching I started experimenting. 1) I had started a swatch before my wrist sprain and had decided the gauge was too tight. I ripped it out and started again a needle size up. I was really struggling with the movement and my first thought was "uh–oh" my gauge may be really messed up on this swatch. Then I remembered when I teach absolute beginners it's often easier if I start by casting on and knitting a few rows for them so they have existing stitches to work from.

2) I got out a vest which I had put aside recently. I had about four inches of knitting completed. Humm, this was definitely easier. I wasn't feeling awkward, I knit for about 20 minutes and then took a rest. There wasn't any pain but the yarns in that project are sturdy wools, some in that crispy category.

3) While I was resting, I remembered I had another project in which I was working with very soft yarns with a loose gauge on straight needles. Number 1 and 2 are both on circulars. Eureka! I did two more 20 minute sessions of knitting. I don't want to overdo it.

4) Lessons learned, maybe multiple UFOs aren't as bad as I think they are! OK, I do have too many but that's a different post topic. Other lessons, try changing the needle style, use softer yarns and looser gauges for easier on the hands and wrists knitting.

Next time I'm going to do a roundup post on various sources of info on knitting ergonomics.

About Me

email contact robinknits(AT)gmail(dot)com
I've been knitting my whole life. I don't even remember learning. I started making garments for myself in my teens and then explored sewing, tailoring and millinery. I want to teach knitters about fit and flattery and turn them into fashion stars!
On my blog you will find lots of interviews with knitting industry professionals, how to tutorials and a variety of posts about what's going on in the knitting world.
I love to come out and speak at shops and guilds. Here's what the Downtown Knit collective said after one of my talks:
“Robin Hunter’s inspiring talk, “The Barbie Factor,” left everyone in a feel-good mood at the conclusion of the May meeting. Heads were nodding in agreement all around ... as she tackled a multi-faced problem faced by many knitters—why don’t we knit for ourselves? She touched on many topics including fashion, body image, media and how it all relates back to our knitting.”
You can see my patterns on http://www.patternfish.com/des/robin_hunter and you can find me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/people/knittingrobin
My YouTube channel is here:http://www.youtube.com/user/robinknits?feature=mhee